Creation of synodal body to transform the church and harm the Armenian people, says religious scholar

The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Sahak Mashalyan, has proposed the creation of a synodal body as a potential solution to the ongoing crisis in relations between the government and the church. He made this statement in his address at the opening of the Episcopal Assembly in Vienna.

Religious scholar and philosopher Vardan Khachatryan told Aysor.am that a synodal body is a structure composed of several individuals who govern the church. According to him, such bodies are common in Protestant churches, including Danish and Lutheran churches.

“Our church has been a unipolar structure since time immemorial. Any such change would radically alter its organization, internal relations, and unipolarity, and could affect the preservation of the Armenian people’s identity,” Khachatryan emphasized.

He added, “Revising the structure of a 1,700-year-old church implies radical changes in relationships, especially since the church is a global institution, where everyone could defend their individual interests.”

Khachatryan noted that when the idea of a synod first emerged, its main proponent was the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Zachary of Jagh, who reportedly viewed himself as worthy of becoming Catholicos and placed himself above all bishops of the Holy See of Echmiadzin in terms of authority and merit. The scholar refrained from commenting on the fact that such proposals often come from Constantinople but stressed that it could give rise to many assumptions.

“I would just like to note that such a body could become a serious obstacle to the distribution of power, its decentralization, and service to the common interests of the Armenian people,” he said.

Archbishop Sahak Mashalyan’s proposal, Khachatryan explained, implies a transformation of the church. He argued that those who advocate for structural changes – including the removal and election of a new Catholicos – do not fully grasp the depth of the process, which could seriously harm the Armenian people and divide their church.

“Let’s put it this way: if a living institution that has existed for 1,700 years undergoes such radical changes, we could suffer significant losses, particularly in the diaspora,” he noted.

Khachatryan hopes these changes will not take place and that the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church will remain steadfast.

“If they do occur, they will trigger many other changes that these proponents cannot even describe in detail. If you ask them about the challenges these transformations might bring, they cannot provide any serious explanation,” he added.